81 replies to this topic

[BillyBonds]

Not sure the is the best place to put this, or if it would have been better to post in the camper/rv section, feel free to move it if you wish.

I drive a F350 dually. When I purchased the truck a few years ago, it had passenger plates on it. When I went to switch the registration to me, the woman at DMV caught it and said I had to put commercial plates on it because of the weight, or risk a massive fine if I catch the wrong cop on the wrong day. So I registered it commercial.

The truck is not used for commercial purposes. I used to only use it to pull my horse trailer or a camper, but since the lease was up on my car, I have now bee using it as my daily driver, and here in lies the problem. Tolls are much more expensive. I get harassed by cops in the city because you cant have a "commercial" vehicle without some sort of lettering on the truck, which I dont have, because it's not a commercial vehicle.

The states weight limit is 5500which quite frankly a150/1500 doesnt even make, but they all get passenger plates. I see 250/2500's and 350/3500's all day on the LIE with passenger plates. DMV says that if the pickup has a cap with windows, it can be registered passenger. That doesnt work for me because I pull a gooseneck trailer and camper. DMV offers an alternative that if there is permanently installed camping equipment in the bed, it can be registered as passenger, but later defines the equipment as a stove, fridge, and bed. Who the heck has a permanent stove or fridge in the bed of their pickup? I called DMV about this, I told him that I had permanent equipment installed to hook up a camper, but he said that doesnt cut it.

What am I missing here? Is everyone with a passenger plate on lying to DMV? Or is it more about who you happen to get at the window? The supervisor on the phone told me all I have to do is go to DMV and tell them I modified my truck, but I am not one to flat out lie. I am not so much worried about getting my dually registered as passenger, but I am considering either buying a second car, or even trading in my dually for a 250/2500 diesel IF I can get passenger plates on it.

Anyone know anything about this?

[Hannco]

Dually makes it nearly impossible.

What type of cab does it have? (Crew, Ext, King or Regular?)

The rules state you must have seats perminantly installed behind the front seats and a cover over the back.
If you can prove a single rear truck has been converted to a camper, it can easily be register as passenger car.

I have seen people throw a blow up mattress, camp stove and porta potty into the back under a cap and it passed.

Down in Maryland, people take off the dualies and add a single monster tire/rim so they can get a beach permit.

[BillyBonds]

My dually is a crew cab, and if I were to trade it in for a 250/2500, it would also be a crew cab.

As stated, I can not put a cap on it, because then I wouldnt be able to pull a trailer/camper anymore.

I have family in NC that we send money to and help out, maybe I should explore registering out of state......

[cleansweep]

My F350 CC is registered as a suburban not a pick up. Dually puts you over the top.

[Pat M]

You are right, my F150 Super Cab weighs 6800 lbs.

[mikester]

You are right, my F150 Super Cab weighs 6800 lbs.

You sure about that weight ? Youve had your truck on a scale and it weighs that much ? My 05 Chevy 2500 4x4 crew cab weighed under 6000 lbs. Seems heavy for a half ton.

[BillyBonds]

If I remember correctly, curb weight on the F150 is 5700. 6800 may be your GVWR

[Big Matt]

And don't forget that EZ Pass and the Thruway Authority have different criteria than both DMV and NYC.

[Pat M]

GVWR 6900 lbs. on the door sticker?

[mikester]

GVWR 6900 lbs. on the door sticker?

Hate to say this but your looking at the wrong weight Pat. The GVWR is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. That means your trucks weight with passengers AND a full load. Im guessing your truck weighs in under 5800 lbs empty. You need to look up the year of your truck on line and look for curb weight or unladen weight. People get the weight numbers wrong all the time.

[Djcubinlinx]

I bought my 2008 E250 from a dealer back in 2009. He installed some BS seat belt brackets and rear port holes and registered as a passenger vehicle.

[Adirondack state of mind]

Keep in mind, unless things have changed, even with passenger plates you still cannot use the left hand lane on the LIE, which also mean you cannot use the HOV lane.

[mikester]

Keep in mind, unless things have changed, even with passenger plates you still cannot use the left hand lane on the LIE, which also mean you cannot use the HOV lane.

Ive been doing that since I started using passenger plates on my trucks and havent been pulled over. I guess Ive been lucky.

[BillyBonds]

Keep in mind, unless things have changed, even with passenger plates you still cannot use the left hand lane on the LIE, which also mean you cannot use the HOV lane.

According to the MTA, using an EZPass, one way through the Throgs Neck for a passenger vehicle is $5.33, for my truck it's $9.62, that's an 80% increase! I'd be happy saving that alone.

[NRATC53]

Hate to say this but your looking at the wrong weight Pat. The GVWR is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. That means your trucks weight with passengers AND a full load. Im guessing your truck weighs in under 5800 lbs empty. You need to look up the year of your truck on line and look for curb weight or unladen weight. People get the weight numbers wrong all the time.

Had this when I registered my '03 Dodge Crew Cab 2500 Diesel. FL title uses Gross weight, NY passenger registration uses vehicle weight. Window clerk gave me a bit of a hard time until I convinced her to punch it in and then it came up passenger eligible. I had a few Pickups with cap and bunk etc before the law changed. If you register passenger and drive on Parkway you are at risk for improper registration or commercial on parkway, I have seen both summonses written for others

Keep in mind, unless things have changed, even with passenger plates you still cannot use the left hand lane on the LIE, which also mean you cannot use the HOV lane.

Since when? There is nothing about that in the VTL that I'm aware of

[Adirondack state of mind]

The last time I registered a truck at DMV in Port Jeff, I was told if I wanted passenger vehicle plates that I would need to sign a statement number such and such, that stated although this vehicle is being issued passenger plates, it does not qualify for left lane or HOV use on the LIE. Now this truck was a single cab, so maybe that had something to do with it, but if I remember correctly, the statement said "pickup trucks" and nothing about number of seats or doors.

[NRATC53]

I read that statement before the DMV Clerk realized my truck could be registered with passenger plates. There was nothing on it pertaining to HOV lane or left lane use.I would welcome evidence to the contrary

[mikester]

Im not sure when NY changed the law on passenger plates for trucks but I had 1 extended cab and my current 2011 GMC 1500 crewcab registered with passenger plates. My 03 1500HD crew and my 05 2500HD were both too heavy. Both were 4x4s and they had the 6.0 gas motor. They were both just under 6000 lbs curb weight.

I also never had to sign anything or even read anything about the left lane and HOV lane. If I have a passenger Im in the HOV all the way in and back out.

Edited by mikester, June 05 2013 - 03:13 PM.

[DIESEL]

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv114.pdf 5500 pounds un-laden for a pick up to get passenger plates. F150's make it, the 250's and up do not. Campers are registered as suburbans. You gotta have a good reason to want to drive a dually in NYC. My guess is try out of state

[SingleAction]

Welcome to the club!

The info that supervisior gave you is 100% correct for NY DMV!

I went thru the same thing with my Chevy Silverado 2500HD. Anything over 5500lbs gets comm plates, my trucks(ny) title says 5618lbs.

I use my truck to haul a truck camper, but not all the time. It's a NY thing, what can you do.